The present invention relates to network managements for a network composed of a plurality of objects, and more particularly to a method and system for efficiently operating a network system which may take a variety of types of logical network topologies.
Conventionally, routers and bridges have been widely used as means for implementing a method of dividing a network into multiple network segments, i.e., portions relayed by routers to control the communication traffic between respective segments. Also, as networks have been spread in enterprises in ever larger scale to allow a large number of users to share limited network resources, switched media network equipment such as ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) or the like has been developed as repeaters for effectively utilizing a limited bandwidth of a network and reducing useless traffic. The switched media network equipment repeats a packet from a certain port to a previously specified port to reduce the traffic. When ID of a network for repeating a packet is previously set in the switched media network equipment in accordance with this principle, a virtual network can be configured.
Also, as a method of managing devices on a network, SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) defined by Request for Comment (RFC) 1907 or the like is generally utilized. The SNMP provides for reference and modification to a set situation and monitoring of an operating situation for each device.
On the other hand, a directory service defined by ITU-T Recommendation X.500 Series is utilized as an international standard for a method of using a database to manage information on computers connected to a network, users who utilizes the network, and so on.
Furthermore, a plurality of different standards have been defined for methods of implementing virtual networks. For example, a LAN emulation (hereinafter abbreviated as xe2x80x9cLANExe2x80x9d) defined by an industry standardization organization ATM Forum has been implemented for ATM. In addition, a variety of implementing methods, individually extended by numerous vendors, exist for Ethernet switches, other than the VLAN method (IEEE802. Lq) now under consideration for standardization by an international standardization organization IEEE.
In a network environment in which virtual networks are parallelly implemented in accordance with a plurality of different standards as mentioned above, several problems arises in terms of the management of system operations.
As a first problem, when a plurality of virtual network methods are mixedly implemented in a network environment, it is difficult for a system manager to conduct unified operation and management for all virtual networks. Assume, for example, that some settings have been changed in a certain virtual network. Since many virtual networks employ protocols or implementing methods independent of a higher level protocol such as Internet Protocol (IP), they may be interconnected through routers. However, respective virtual networks rely on their own implement methods for reference and modifications to settings thereof, setting operations must be performed for each of the virtual networks, thus making it difficult to uniformly handle these virtual networks.
FIG. 24 illustrates a network topology diagram for explaining the above-mentioned problem. In FIG. 24, an ATM switch 102, two LAN emulation servers (hereinafter abbreviated as xe2x80x9cLESxe2x80x9d) 104a, 104b, and a LAN emulation configuration server (hereinafter abbreviated as xe2x80x9cLECSxe2x80x9d) 101 for managing the LESs 104a, 104b configure emulated LANs (hereinafter abbreviated as xe2x80x9cELANxe2x80x9d) 107a, 107b. Also, an Ethernet switch 106 manages VLANs 108a, 108b. Thus, a total of four virtual network segments are established in the network. When component devices must be changed in respective virtual network segment, associated settings should be individually changed by servers dedicated to manage the respective virtual network segment. In this event, the system manager must know one by one correspondence relationships between the respective virtual network segments with respect to devices to be changed.
A second problem arises due to the fact that a virtual network segment does not directly correspond to a physically connected situation, but is realized by control software on a network. Therefore, the physically connected situation of a virtual network segment is such that the network manager cannot trace it in direct correspondence to a logical network topology viewed from a higher level protocol.
FIG. 25 illustrates a network topology diagram in which the network illustrated in FIG. 24 is regarded as a logical network conforming to the IP protocol. In the topology diagram illustrated in FIG. 25, it is not possible to detect the existence of a server for controlling ATM switches, LESs and so on. In other words, the configurations of ELAN and VLAN must be managed separately from the management of a logical network layer in accordance with the IP protocol.
The foregoing first and second problems are not limited to a network where a plurality of virtual network segments are implemented in different manners, but may arise also in a network system which provides for a management of a plurality of types of logical networks for a single network entity composed of a plurality of objects.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system, apparatus and method for uniformly operating and managing a network system, which are capable of managing a plurality of types of logical networks for a single network entity composed of a plurality of objects, thus solving the two problems mentioned above.
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides network managing system for managing a plurality of logical networks corresponding to a network including a plurality of objects, comprising:
a collecting device for collecting information on objects connected adjacent to respective objects, from said plurality of objects included said network, for creating in a database information on topologies of said plurality of objects included in said network and mutually connected to each other; and
a display device for displaying on a display said logical networks corresponding to said network including said plurality of objects together with said network including said mutually connected objects. This system may comprise:
a storage for storing said information on topologies of said plurality of objects as pointer-connected link information and object attribute information;
an input device for accepting a request for changing a connection relationship for an object in said plurality of logical networks; and
a changing device responsive to said request for referencing said storage for changing said connection relationship,
said display device displaying said plurality of logical networks including said object having the changed connection relationship. In addition, this system may comprise:
a setting device for setting a connection relationship for transmitting a signal of said object having a changed connection relationship. The display device three-dimensionally displays each of said plurality of objects connected to said network and said plurality of objects connected to said logical networks by use of solid images dinamically created by moving a viewpoint for a plurality of objects on a computer. In another aspect of the invention it is possible to provide a network operation/management system in a network system capable of managing a plurality of types of logical networks for a network entity composed of a plurality of objects, comprising display means for simultaneously displaying each of a plurality of types of logical network topologies on a virtual screen, collecting means (for example, a SNMP manager) for collecting information on network topologies (for example, information on MIB (Management Information Base)) from each of the plurality of objects, creating means for creating display data for displaying on the display means, each of the plurality of types of logical network topologies for each object in accordance with the information on network topologies collected by the collecting means, and display control means for controlling to display on the display means each of the plurality of types of logical network topologies based on the display data created by the creating means. For example, when defining a physical network topology, a virtual network topology, and a logical network topology viewed from a higher level protocol as the plurality of types of logical network topologies, each of the plurality of types of logical network topologies is regarded as an individual network layer, and information on topology on each network layer is managed for each object. In this event, display data on each of the physical network topology, the virtual network topology, and the logical network topology viewed from a higher level protocol is created for one object. Since the display data thus created enables a control for displaying each of the plurality of types of logical network topologies on the display means, all of the plurality of types of logical network topologies can be uniformly managed.
The network operation/management system may also have accepting means for accepting an instruction for changing the plurality of types of logical network topologies, wherein the creating means, in response to the instruction for changing accepted by the accepting means, changes display data of each of the plurality of types of logical network topologies for each object, and the display means displays each of the plurality of types of logical network topologies after the change, in accordance with the display data changed by the creating means.
The network operation/management system may further have setting means for creating information on network topologies for a changed object from the display data changed by the creating means, and for setting the created information on network topologies for the changed object.
The network operation/management system may further have acquiring means for acquiring a directory structure in the network system from a directory database management server for holding a directory structure, wherein the display means further displays the directory structure acquired by the acquiring means.
The display means and the display control means may be disposed in a management console, while the collecting means and the creating means may be disposed in a manager, thus configuring the network operation/management system as a client-server system.
The present invention also provides a method of displaying a database having a hierarchical structure of data comprising the steps of two-dimensionally displaying data contained in a database, and three-dimensionally displaying the two-dimensionally displayed data, wherein the three-dimensional display may comprise all or a selected portion of the two-dimensionally displayed data.
When performing a manipulation for scrolling, closing, and opening of one of the two-dimensionally displayed data and the three-dimensionally displayed data, specifying a range of displayed data for the two-dimensionally displayed data or the three-dimensionally displayed data, or the like to change one of the displays, the other display can be changed in accordance with the change in the one display.
In the three-dimensional display, associated data portions within the three-dimensionally displayed data may be highlighted, wherein the highlighting of the associated data portions may be performed only when it is selected, or the highlighting of particular data portion specified by a user within the associated data portions may be switched to be continuously performed or performed only when it is selected.
When a data portion is selected from one of the two-dimensionally displayed data and the three-dimensionally displayed data, corresponding data portion in the other one can be selected and the selected data portions can be highlighted.
The data may be searched using the association of data as a key, wherein when the search is conducted using the three-dimensionally displayed data, searched data can also be two-dimensionally displayed, and when the search is conducted using the two-dimensionally displayed data, searched data can also be three-dimensionally displayed.
A projection view of the three-dimensionally displayed data may be displayed, such that when a manipulation is performed for changing a displayed range or a display scale on the projection view, a display range or a display scale of the three-dimensional display can be changed in response to the manipulation for changing.
When an object corresponding to a data portion in the three-dimensional display is touched with a mouse cursor, the object may be treated as an object selectable by a mouse click, and a representation of the object may be displayed in a manner different from representations of other objects. Also, a three-dimensional space for producing the three-dimensional display is divided into a plurality of areas such that data on mutually associated different databases may be displayed in each of the areas.
A range of data to be three-dimensionally displayed can be specified, taking advantages of good operability inherent to a two-dimensional display such as scrolling, closing, opening, and so on of a display. The viewing of displays can be facilitated by eliminating representations of association not required for manipulations, whereas association required for manipulations can be continuously displayed.
When a data portion is selected in a two-dimensional display or a three-dimensional display, the same data portion need not be again selected in the other one. These displays can be provided in such a manner that allows the user to immediately realize where a data portion selected in one of the displays is positioned in the other one. Also, it is possible to immediately acquire information on a data portion selected in one of the displays which is included in the other one. Further, a current target object and data related thereto can be displayed without requiring to input a search condition.
Due to the sense of distance in a three-dimensional data display, objects positioned further away appear smaller, so that, when a range is to be specified, it is difficult to identify such small objects and determine an appropriate range. The use of a projection view, however, provides for all objects displayed in the same size, thereby facilitating to identify respective objects and determine an appropriate range.
Also, in a three-dimensional space, due to a parallax between a cursor displayed on a projection plane by a camera imaged on a computer and an object displayed in the three-dimensional space, the use of mouse click for selection may result in unintentionally selecting an object different from an object on which the cursor is positioned. However, by previously highlighting selectable objects, the problem of parallax can be eliminated.